"Verbalizing" medical terms
What tools/strategies can I employ to make students not only learn and understand medical terminology, but also "say" or verbalize these terms correctly? Many are intimidated when they see rather complex or hard-to-pronounce words?
Gerard, on the posts for this course, some instructors play "word surgery" and start with longer terms and have students break them into prefixes, roots, suffixes, and pronounce each of these separately before putting them together. That will help. Also some text books come with the dictionary online that will pronounce it correctly so they can hear it.
I find this to be the most helpful to the students. Many of them are afraid of being embarassed of pronouncing them wrong.
We want to create safe learning environments so that learners are not afraid but feel supported in trying to pronounce and define. I agree with you, Kimberly.
Our school uses a very popular text for Medical Terminology. The text also includes a CD that provides audio pronouniciations of the terms. When I taught med term, I would keep the CD loaded for those words that would present problems during class. We would listen to the term and repeat until everyone got it correct. Also, I made sure that the the class knew that I had a few terms that I too struggled with. That seemed to lessen the anxiety to those that were shy when speaking in class.
Patricia, I think it is a good approach to share the challenges you have your students. I agree it makes them feel a connection to you as learners.
True, many students are intimidated when they see a complex or hard to pronounce words,but i let them know that this is a new language to them and it will take time.
Learning medical terminology is learning a new language, which takes a variety of people different amounts of time to learn.
Online dictionaries are a great source too.
I like the "word surgery" game. Does anyone else have ideas for games that involve students pronouncing the words? Correct pronunciation is not only very important on the job, but I think it will also increase each student's confidence in themselves, especially when they are working in the field.
This is a great tool for students to learn the proper pronunciation of the terms.
I agree with those approches to help students pronounce the medical terms,beside that there is a "see and say" section together with the medical term that helps with the pronounciation which can be enhanced when we teach the body systems and analyze and define the medical words related to each body system
When I was in school, there were learning CDs that pronounced the word for you, much like an online dictionary. It also included quizzes you could take along with the course.
Rita, these functions are online now, too.
Michele Deck
Reinforcing long & short term vowels help. We break out the medical dictionary when pronunciation is questioned. I know this sounds corney, but we say the word as a group out loud. This usually works.
Christine, it is not corny, but is a successful strategy.
Michele Deck
